t’s really hard to dive into the world of spring fashion and accessories while your nose hairs are frozen stiff as you scrape the ice off your windshield. With temperatures reaching -50°C (windchill included) over the past month or so in the city, not a single Calgarian is pondering blooming flowers or birds singing, let alone what to wear when those wonderful events occur. And yet, the truly fashion forward are always one step ahead of everything, including the seasons. Forget that stupid groundhog. The blanket of snow covering every inch of your vehicle, lawn and asphalt will eventually melt. When it does you don’t want be caught in the lurch looking like a total floozie in your UGGs and your bulky parka from 1978. With the help of Holt Renfrew and his gear gurus, we have picked some of the upcoming season’s most stylish and versatile picks to stay cool in as the weather heats up.

For women, the trends lean toward organic, loose fitting styles with a cyber vibe. Quite the mélange, I know. According to Barbara Atkin, Holt Renfrew’s VP of Fashion Direction, this season, fashionistas are being more revolutionary and eclectic in the way they look and the way they think than ever before. Okay, so there probably aren’t going to be any protest marches on the runway, but this guerrilla mentality has resulted in a remix and reboot of the age old “what goes around comes around” tradition of haute couture.

Trends lean toward organic, loose fitting styles with a cyber vibe. Quite the mélange, I know.

Listen up. Some of Atkin’s must-haves for women include the functional summer parka, the earthy bohemian dress and the billowy t-shirt. These eclectic picks cannot go unpaired with this season’s must-have accessories: the bohemian scarf and the oversized clutch. All of these mentions of styles and fabrics appropriately lend themselves to Holt Renfrew’s spring 2008 theme: Bohemian Rhapsody. Expect nature-inspired prints and high performance fabrics meshed with minimalist styles and shapes. It’s the long overdue marriage of the Jetsons and the Flintstones